This invention relates generally to an electronic lock comprising at least one key member with a code identifying said member, and a lock member having means for storing opening codes authorizing the opening of the lock, and for comparison of a code received from a key member with each of the stored opening codes.
To open an electronic lock comprising a key member and a lock member it is necessary to transmit from the key member to the lock member information that identifies the key member. This information is hereinafter designated the key code. If the code transmitted from a key member is found, when checked, to be correct, the lock is opened.
When a key is lost it shall preferably be possible to replace it with a new key having key code other than the lost one. At the same time the code of the lost key must no longer be accepted by the lock member.
It has already been suggested to use in electronic locks keys having two codes which are elements of a consecutive series such that the second code of a key is the first code of the next key, etc. If at least one code of a lost key is known, a new key can be made. See for example U.S. Patent Re. 29,259.